Scared of sake? Expert on a mission to improve rice wine’s reputation

The Standard's reporter Rehema samples sake at SUSHISAMBA
Glenn Copus
Rehema Figueiredo15 October 2015

Londoners should stop being afraid of sake — and banish bad memories of trying it in Chinatown, according to an expert in the Japanese rice wine.

Maurizio Palomba, who trained as a sommelier before becoming a sake master, says the drink is a healthier alternative to grape wine.

But he admitted some Londoners may have been put off by trying the drink at Chinese restaurants. He said: “We aren’t scared to drink a bottle of port so why are we scared to drink sake? It’s much more drinkable, has less sugar and works better with our bodies.

“Some people are aware of sake but they may have had a bad experience of it. If you are a bit drunk, maybe you’ve been to Chinatown and they’ve given you sake which is hot.

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“But sake goes with pretty much everything except for extremely spicy and extremely rich food. Schezuan Chinese food doesn’t really work with it.” Mr Palomba is head of wine and sake at SUSHISAMBA, on the 38th floor of the Heron Tower on Bishopsgate, and runs masterclasses in sake.

While the drink can be served cold, Mr Palomba said: “If you drink hot sake, your pH and saliva will develop to taste new flavours. You can serve it at body temperature or you can serve it at 55C, but we don’t go higher than that.”

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